Supply roll mounting means for dispensing cabinets



Nov. 2, 1954 R. e. BIRR 2,693,321

SUPPLY ROLL MOUNTING MEANS FOR DISPENSING CABINETS Original Filed Oct. 4, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l A a V i5 @4051?? 7 B}; 06w I 2, 1954 R. G. BIRR 2,693 32 l A A,

SUPPLY ROLL MOUNTING MEANS FOR DISPENSING CABINETS: '1

Original Filed Oct. 4, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent() SUPPLY ROLL MOUNTING MEANS FOR DISPENSING CABINETS Rudolph G. Birr, Lombard, 111., assiguor to American Linen Supply Co., Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Nevada Original application October 4, 1950, Serial No. 188,413. Divided and this application June 11, 1952, Serial No. 292,945

.5 Claims. (Cl. 242-68) This invention relates to means for facilitating the mounting of a supply roll of sheet material, such as paper, on a swingable frame which is adapted to position the roll in proper relation with the feeding means of a paper dispensing cabinet and is a division of my copending application Serial No. 188,413, filed October cific structures applied to the supply roll, and to a frame which can be swung to a point outside of the dispensing cabinet in order that the supply roll may be easily mounted thereon.

.The invention is applied to a paper dispensing device in which the paper supply roll must be mounted for rotation, and for this reason the supply roll is coupled to means which rotates with the roll about pivots on the roll-supporting frame.

Objects of the invention are: to provide a form of first coupling member which can be easily attached to the supply roll; to provide a second and companion coupling member which is weighted to always automatically assume a position which facilitates the connection of the first member therewith; to provide coupling members which cannot be used with other forms of coupling members; to prevent the use of the wrong quality of paper in the dispensing cabinet; and to provide-specific and very simple and inexpensive coupling means for mounting supply rolls in dispensing or other cabinets.

Features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description of the drawings, and in said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a dispensing cabinet showing the swing-frame in full lines at loading position outside of the cabinet, and showing said frame in dot-and-dash lines within the cabinet, and with the supply roll properly positioned in relation to the feeding mechanism;

Fig. 2 is. a front elevation partly invertical longitudinal section showing the swing-frame, and showing the coupling means securing the supply roll in rotative relation thereto;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through one end of a supply roll showing the arched coupler member positioned as before attachment;

I Fig. 5 is a face view of the cross-shaped and arched coupler member as before engagement with the roll;

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the roll showing the cross shaped coupler attached;

1Fig. 7 is an outer face view of the pendular coupler p ate;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section on line 88 of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a vertical section at the right end of the mounted roll on line 9--9 of Fig. 2. 1

Referring to the drawings, the cabinet is generally designated 1, and the cover, 2. The cover 2 can be swung downwardly below the cabinet for servicing. The rolls of the feeding mechanism are designated 4 and 5, the roll 4 being a measuring roll, which can be operated by pulling on the paper, or by a crank. The sheet material is delivered downwardly through the throat 6. Above the feeding mechanism is a swing-frame generally designated 7. This frame is composed of right and left arms 1 2,693,321 Patented Nov. 2, 1954 8, 9, crossconnected by a sheet metal element 10. Each arm is pivoted as at 12 to an upright plate 13. These two plates 13 support the mechanism within the cabinet 1. The arms 8 and 9 have bottom flanges 14 connected to the element 10 as shown, and said element 10 is engaged by the cover when the latter is closed. Each arm 8, 9 has an outwardly turned flange 15 which engages the front edge 17 of the corresponding plate 13 to limit the downward movement of the frame 7, as shown in Fig. 1. These flanges 15 also limit inward motion of the frame 7 as shown by engagement with the edge 17.

The supply roll of sheet material '20 usually has a tubular paper core 21 about which the material is wound. On the right arm 8 is pivoted as at 22, at its upper end, a tubular plug 23 having a flange 24 for limiting its inward motion after insertion into the core 21. The plug 23 fits the tubular core snugly. The right end of the ICC roll or core is usually the first to be coupled, and then a special coupling means on the left end of the roll is engaged with a special coupling means on the remaining arm 9. One object of this special coupling means is to assure right placement of the supply roll in relation to the dispensing mechanism which usually includes the feed rolls 3 and 4. Another object is to facilitate connection of the coupling means, and a third object is to prevent the use of any but the proper quality of sheet material in the cabinet, which material is usually paper. This insures that the paper will be properly fed by thefeeding mechanism especially designed for a certain quality of paper. Since the reputation of the manufacturer of the dispensing cabinet, as a maker of smoothly operating feeding mechanisms, is at stake, it is important to prevent the use of the wrong quality of paper.

The special coupling means includes a plate 25 pivoted for free motion about the rivet 26. The plate is weighted to automatically assume and be maintained in an upright position to facilitate coupling. The weighting is herein accomplished by having that part of the plate below the pivot 26 longer than the part above the pivot. The plate has extending downwardly from its top edge a slot 29, and below its pivot has a circular opening 30. The slot and opening are herein arranged on a vertical line 31 which passes through the rotative axis of the pivot 26. The slot 29 and opening 30 are adapted to receive cylindrical coupler bosses or lugs 43 of a sheet metal coupler member generally designated 36, which member is secured to the supply roll or core in a unique manner. The bottom 32 of the slot 29 and the top 33 of the opening 30 are the same distance from the pivotal axis 26 of the plate 25 and this axis is in horizontal alignment with the rotative axis 35 of the core 21.

The member 36 of the coupling means, which is attached to the supply roll 20 or to the core 21 of the supply roll, is believed to be entirely new in structure and operation. It comprises a piece of stiff but bendable sheet metal which is formed by stamping. In face view it has somewhat the form of a cross and comprises four arms 38 radiating from a central portion 39. These arms are diametrically aligned in pairs which are perpendicular to one another. The member 36 is normally, that is before being attached to the roll, arched so as to present a concave side 40 and a convex side 41. Each arm has a pair of marginal prongs 42 projecting from its concave side, and each of two diametrically aligned arms has a tubular coupler boss 43 projecting from its convex side. These bosses are punched out cylindrical projections and, before the member is attached, have their axes 44 convergent toward the concave side 40 of the member. Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, it will be noted that each arm 38 is narrowed at a point immediately adjacent the central portion 39, thus, reducing the cross-sectional area along the bend line, and correspondingly weakening the material in this region.

The prongs are circularly aligned on a circumference having its center corresponding to the axis of rotation 35 of the core 21, and of the pivot 26 of the coupler plate 25.

In attaching the bendable member 36 to the core or to the hollow central portion of a roll of paper, the

prongs 42 are inserted into the open end of the core 21, or roll 22, as shown in Fig. 4, and then the member 36 is flattened against the end face of the roll, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, and all prongs are simultaneously driven into the core to very eflficiently secure the member thereto. During flattening the axes 44 of the bosses are brought into parallelism with one another and with the axis of rotation 35 of the roll, and are therefore conditioned to enter the coupler slot 29 and the coupler opening 30 of the gravity-arighted plate 25. Thus when either of the two bosses 43 has been fully engaged with the slot 29 and has been moved downwardly to the bottom 32 of the slot, the roll can be swung about this engaged boss as a center to obtain registration of the lower boss 43 with and entry into the opening 30. Since the plate 25 is freely pivoted and weighted so that the slot is automatically maintained at the top and in upright position over the pivotal axis 26, coupling of the bosses is facilitated, whatever may be the position of the swingable arms 8, 9 or arm-carrying frame 7.

The coupler member 36 can be very cheaply made, and has the unique advantage of being attachable by simple pressure without the use of any tool or by use of a hammer delivering a light blow, in an axial direction and toward the end face of the roll. This can be easily and quickly done by unskilled labor.

It will be understood that the prongs may be driven directly into the paper of the roll, in case a core is not used, but inasmuch as cores are universally used as spools on which to wind the paper, the core is sometimes included as an element of the claims. All that is necessary is to provide a recess of sufiicient depth in the end of the supply roll to receive the prongs, then introduce the prongs, and then flatten the coupler member against the end of the roll.

Heretofore a special tool had to be introduced into the core and manipulated to drive the prongs one by one into the core. With this invention simple flattening of the coupler member is all that is necessary, and all prongs are simultaneously forced to attached position, and the coupler bosses are operatively positioned.

Considerable difficulty and loss of time were previously experienced by service men in obtaining registration between the coupler members at the right end of the roll. With the device herein, the uppermost boss is easily and quickly engaged with the upper end of the slot, and moved downwardly therein, whereafter by swinging the roll slightly about the upper boss as a center, the lower boss is easily brought into register and connection with the opening.

It will also be understood that after the member 36 has been driven into position, as shown in Fig. 2, it will be practically impossible to remove the same without destroying it or at least rendering it unfit for further use in another roll.

What i claim is:

l. A coupling spider having a central body portion, a plurality of arms extending radially from said central portion, each of said arms being formed to provide a reduced cross-sectional area in order to define a weakened and readily breakable area between the end of said arm and said body portion, a prong formed on one side of each of said arms and arranged to fit into the core of a roll of sheet material when said member is introduced therein, and a coupling boss formed on the opposite side of each of said arms arranged to cooperate with a rotatable mounting in order to support a roll of sheet material carrying said coupling member for rotation with the rotatable mounting.

2. A coupling member comprising, a central body portion, a plurality of arms extending radially from said body portion and bent ata slight angle with respect to said body portion at the junction of said arms and said body portion to form oppositely disposed concave and convex surfaces, said junction of said arms and said body portion of a reduced cross-sectional area to define a weakened bendable hinge between said body portion and said arms, a support form in each of said arms projecting from said concave surface of said member, said supports being so related that they may be introduced into the end recess in a roll of sheet material and being so positioned on said concave surfaces of said arms so that they press outwardly away from each other when said arms are straightened into alignment with said body portion following the introduction of said supports into the end of the roll, said bendable hinges during said straightening of said coupling member being further weakened in order to limit the number of times said coupling member may be reused in other rolls before severing at least one of said arms from said body portion of said coupling member.

3. A coupling member comprising, a central body portion, a plurality of arms extending radially from said. body portion and bent at a slight angle with respect to said body portion at the junction of said arms and said body portion to form oppositely disposed concave and convex surfaces, said junction of said arms and said body portion being weakened to define a bendable hinge member between said body portion and said arms, and a prong form in each of said arms projecting from said concave surface of said member, said prongs being so related that they may be introduced into the end recess in a roll of sheet material and being so positioned on said concave surfaces of said arms so that they will turn outwardly away from each other to bite into said roll material when said arms are straightened into alignment with said body portion following the introduction of said prongs into the end of the roll, said bendable hinge members during said straightening of said coupling member being further weakened in order to limit the number of times said coupling member may be reused before severing at least one of said arms from said body portion of said coupling member.

4. A coupling member comprising, a central body portion, a plurality of arms extending radially from said body portion and bent at a slight angle with respect to said body portion at the junction of said arms and said body portion to form oppositely disposed concave and convex surfaces, said junction of said arms and said body portion being weakened to define a bendable hinge between said body portion and said arms, a prong form in each of said arms projecting from said concave surface of said member, and a coupling boss formed in each of said arms projectig from said convex surface of said member, said prongs being formed so that upon insertion into the end recess in a roll of sheet material they may be turned outwardly to bite into the inner surface of said recess in response to straightening of said surfaces in said coupling member and said coupling bosses will assume a position for mounting said roll on a rotatable support, said bendable hinge being further weakended by straightening of said coupling member in order to render said coupling member unfit for use in another roll of sheet material.

5. A coupling member comprising, a central body portion, a plurality of arms radiating from said central body portion, each of said arms having a weakened area at the junction with said central body portion, said member being initially arched by bending slightly each arm at said weakened area, means secured to said arms on the concaved side of said member for securing said memher in a recess in the end of a roll of sheet material, following the introduction of said means into said recess, by flattening said member to remove the arch initially formed therein, and means secured to the convexed side of said member for coupling said member to a support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,046,532 Zabriskie Dec. 10, 1912 2,169,399 Steiner Aug. 15, 1939 

